Can Your Dog Move to a Retirement Community With You?
Moving into a retirement community is a decision that you, and perhaps your spouse, need to consider very carefully. Whether you have children won't exactly play a major role in your decision, as they would have left home years ago. But not all children leave their parents. If you share your home with a four-legged canine child, their future also needs to be taken into consideration. Can you bring your beloved dog with you to a retirement home?
The Unbreakable Bond
The retirement industry recognises the unbreakable bond between a person and their dog, so there are a considerable number of pet-friendly retirement villages to choose from. It's really just a matter of locating a pet-friendly facility in your preferred location and price range. However, even if you've identified a suitable retirement community, it's not a green light to make plans to move since the very term 'pet-friendly' is open to interpretation.
Certain Restrictions
Even a pet-friendly retirement community can apply certain restrictions to dogs, and you need sure that these restrictions don't apply to your particular pooch. If the applicable information cannot be located on the retirement living facility's website or brochure, then you must contact them for clarification.
Permitted Canine Residents
These restrictions can apply to the number of dogs allowed to live at the retirement facility, and there's the possibility that they're already at capacity with their number of permitted canine residents. It can also be that only certain breeds are welcome, and larger dogs might not be welcome. It's crucial that you confirm that any restrictions won't apply to your dog. It's beneficial to get this in writing, rather than over the phone or face-to-face.
Best Behaviour
Additionally, there can be expectations of behaviour for dogs that will reside at the retirement community. This usually relates to problem noise, and this can quickly become a point of conflict if your dog has a habit for excessive barking. A dog's education doesn't stop once they reach a certain age, and your dog is never too old to learn. Basically, if your dog is a problem barker, you should train them to avoid this behaviour before you move into the retirement community.
It's possible to move to a retirement living community with your dog, although some additional homework will be required, and it might be beneficial to train your dog for the move to ensure that they'll be welcome.